In 2017, the NFL and Facebook announced a two-year partnership that brought game highlights and other original content to the social network. Two years later, they’ve decided to re-up and build on that agreement.
The new partnership, which runs through the 2020 season, includes the same season game highlights, as well as a variety of original videos, all available through Facebook Watch. Pigskin fans will be able to view highlights from the 256 regular season games, playoffs, the Super Bowl, and post-season events including the Pro Bowl. They’ll also get analysis and news clips featuring on-air talent from the league’s studio shows, video podcasts created by the NFL, and archived content from the NFL vault.
The NFL will also create Facebook Groups for fans, sharing video in those groups, and host a Facebook Watch Party every week.
Facebook isn’t the only online platform with an NFL partnership, as Amazon currently holds the rights to stream Thursday night games live. It streamed the Eagles-Packers game on Prime Video and Twitch to a global audience on Sept. 26.
Over 22 million viewers caught at least a minute of an NFL recap in 2017 and ’18, Facebook says. Over a quarter of those views—28%—came from outside the U.S. As the league continues to grow interest in foreign markets, its Facebook partnership is an important tool for building an international fanbase.